Star Wars: Shards of Fate, Episode 1: Where Loyalties Lie
by ShroudedbyDusk
Summary: The story of a few individuals who will leave a greater mark on the galaxy than they will ever know. Follow the stories of Drelzin Cryos, Sabrina Williams, Dyanne Ipsilon, and the apprentice Utopien as their Empire-wide struggle brings them to the edge of the galaxy, and alas, their sanity. Rated M merely for extreme images of violence and suggestive themes. PoV alternates. R&R !
1. 1 The Man in the Mist (S)

_The only one thing that was visible appeared to be a figure embraced by both shadow and swirling mist. He withdrew the cylindrical hilt of a lightsaber from his belt, and activated it, conjuring a beam of pure white plasma energy. From the shadow, similar cloaked figures emerged, withdrawing lightsabers of scarlet. As a battalion, these cloaked encroachers engaged the solitary figure, leaping towards him with dastardly audacity. He calmly evaded, striking the first aforementioned encroacher in the tendon with his blade of light, and the figure crumpled limply to the gelid midnight black floor. The others seemed baffled by how easily their leader was defeated, yet continued the foolish skirmish nonetheless. The heroic and calm figure stood passively but aggressively in a readied combat stance. A pair of enemies rushed him, lunging for his midsection. He deflected their strikes, using the Force to coax each of their blades to find their wielder's throats. He disengaged, hurling himself backwards, throwing his weapon in the direction of the last attacker. Said attacker soared over the blade, approaching the figure with increased velocity, very nearly dancing with his saber. He wove his way through the mist, aiming the tip of his sword to the figure's heart. The figure easily dispatched him as well, however, ducking under the end of the blade, striking him with an uppercut, following through with a lightsaber slash riddling all the way up his abdomen and continuing through his neck and brain. The man fell literally in two, the wound cauterized instantaneously. The zen figure stood humble for a moment, before kneeling, only to become one with the mist…_

_**Sabrina**_

_**Chapter 1 - The Man in the Mist**_

Sabrina raised her head, gasping for air, and studied her surroundings. The Sith Academy, Korriban. In front of her, a massive statue of a cloaked Sith lord was engulfed in pale mist. She sat idle on her knees, reflecting and meditating. What she wasn't aware of, however, was the calculating eyes of Darth Baras peering into her soul from high above. _This one is different, of some worth, it seems. She shall be my champion, _Baras contemplated. He summoned her to his quarters, and gave Sabrina her final orders as an apprentice.

"Tremel has become weak. It is your duty as a Sith of strength and order to eliminate him. Bring me his hand as proof and you will become my official apprentice. When the deed is done, meet me at the shuttle bay. There is much to be done." Baras stated. Without giving his future apprentice a chance to engage in conversation, he stormed out, heading toward the exit. Sabrina sat there for a few moments, dumb founded. Overseer Tremel was her most favoured tutor, her one true inspiration. And now, it was her 'duty' to slay him. She imagined the reaction that Eskella – his daughter, would have. No doubt, she would make an attempt on Sabrina's life… which would end up in Eskella's death. Despite her aggressiveness, Eskella wasn't particularly skilled in swordsmanship or use of the Force – heartbreaking for Tremel. Whatever the case, it was Sabrina's task to end his life. Wandering aimlessly down the byways and corridors, Sabrina contemplated her next action. Ever since she met Baras, she had been planting the seeds to his downfall, as any good Sith apprentice should do. Of course, there was competition. In the tomb of Naga Sadow, she was forced to kill Vemrin, another of Baras's protégés. After she did so, she received her light saber, an ancient weapon of the Sith and Jedi orders. And now, she was to use this weapon to kill her former tutor. She kept saying it in her head over and over, trying to form a plan that would ensure Tremel's survival. When one such idea came, she entered Tremel's quarters.

She drew her light saber as he had done, fearing her plan had just run off its tracks.

"Overseer! Sheathe your blade at once!" Sabrina shouted in fury.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Baras sent you to slay me," he struck at her side, which she easily blocked and swiftly countered, "and that certain event will not transpire here today! I'm sorry, apprentice. I'll try to make it as painless and merciful as I can."

"What makes you so ensured of your victory?" Sabrina questioned from behind crossed blades.

"Please, apprentice. You're not a Sith yet." Tremel stated, sliding backward and striking at Sabrina's head.

She dodged under the blade, and kicked him in the shin, before undercutting him with the hilt of her saber. She forced pushed him back into a limestone statuette of Naga Sadow. He got to his feet, and dusted off the plaster, while growling aggressively. He threw himself at Sabrina's lithe but readied figure, his blade glancing neatly off hers. She struck him in the chin and ran her blade down his arm. A cauterized wound instantly appeared, a riddling line checkering his sword arm. He gasped, falling to the ground.

"I… I was wrong… you do have a chance of saving the Sith… you have the ability and the know-how. Do it then. Finish me off, appease your master. You alone shall determine the future of the Sith." Tremel huffed, out of breath and will.

Sabrina shook her head. "I'm not going to kill you. Why waste something of value. Go into hiding. When the time comes for Baras to die, you will be there, for your usefulness shall be at its peak. But first, I need your hand."

Without saying a word, Tremel directed his hand in Sabrina's direction. Sabrina activated her blade, and sliced clean through her tutor's wrist. He exuded a small gasp of pain. "Tickles a bit…" is all he muttered.

The shuttle was luxurious, perhaps overly so. Aforementioned shuttle was headed toward the Imperial Fleet's main attraction, the Vaikan Spacedock. When she arrived, Sabrina spoke with some advanced trainers in the Combat Training section of the metropolis station. Baras had commissioned said trainers to teach Sabrina in the way of the Marauder, a Sith assailant who specializes in techniques with the light saber. After her training was complete, she linked up with several others who wished to take an elitist flight to Dromund Kaas on the Black Talon, yet another overly luxurious transport… ((I will add Sabrina's adventure on the Black Talon as a Bonus Chapter later on. For now, let's get back to Sabrina on Dromund Kaas.))

Sabrina sat up in her seat, stirring from a light slumber. The Black Talon approached the Dromund Kaas Spaceport. When they docked, the remaining passengers dispersed, and Sabrina checked through Customs, talked to a few of the staff, and retrieved a map, before venturing into the wilds…

"By the might of Tulak Hord! Looke at the rain!" Sabrina announced a little too loudly, but it's not like she could be heard over the downpour. The continuous patter of precipitation clashing with vine drowned out all else. The landscape with riddled with criss-crossing vines and gnarled shrubbery, it looked like a dark maze of malicious intent. Sabrina trotted peacefully along, her blade sheathed loosely at her side.

She spoke to a speeder operator, and arranged transport to Kaas City. From the seat of a landspeeder, the scenery went by in flashes, but she did spot an enormous unfinished statue, a camp of mercenaries, and many a jungle critter. She was quite disappointed when her transport landed at the overlook of the Citadel…

Baras looked quite amused, perched from a plus highback chair sitting across from a desperate looking man chained tightly to a torture table. Baras shot current after current of high voltage electricity out of his fingers. It glanced off walls as well as arced toward the prisoner, causing him to shriek in pain when it impacted. "Republic uncouth scum… I… will… break you." Baras whispered to him from an inadequate amount of adjacency. Sabrina only stood there, observing the interrogation taking place. When she could take no more, she shouted to her sadistic master. "I do believe if you haven't broken him by now, you haven't a chance, Master!"

Baras twirled around, staring at Sabrina with cold eyes through his steel mask. "You dare say something like that… to me?"

Sabrina nodded, as her hands went to her blades. She knew the partnership couldn't have lasted long. Baras, in turn, withdrew his singular blade, and conjured an orb of Force Lightning in his palm. His apprentice sighed, sheathing her left blade, and levitating a chair via the Force. She smirked, before sending the chair full force in a trajectory towards Baras. He attempted to evade with a backflip, but was caught in the middle of the act by the chair, sending him full force into an adjacent wall. He coughed and wheezed only for a few moments, before regaining his footing and advancing toward Sabrina. She twirled around, withdrawing her left blade, and crouched like a patient predator in search of satisfaction. Baras charged, lunging with his blade. Sabrina grasped his shoulder, vaulting over him, and grazed him in the back with her right blade. He howled in pain, and backed off a bit.

When Tremel burst through the door, things got even more interesting. Sabrina wasn't at all surprised to see him, therefore, they worked well as a team to attempt to destroy the trained Sith lord. Tremel slid under Baras's feet, attempting to cut him off at the legs, whereas Sabrina took the higher route, jumping, vaulting, and slashing at the shoulders and head.

"**Enough!**" Baras shouted in fury, sending Sabrina outside the room and Tremel into his glass desk. Sabrina got to her feet at once, but Baras had slammed the entrance and locked it tighter than a Colicoid's safe. It was Tremel's fight for now.

"You're weak, Tremel! So, weak, it seems, that you have infected my prize student with your contagious disease of cowardice!" Baras continued to shout, behind locked blades. Tremel backed off, keeping his blade drawn.

"It is a Sith's way to have his own agenda… This, I know. But yours will cause the end of the Sith Order as we know it! I won't see such a 'prize' pupil go to waste acting out your worthless schemes." Tremel retorted.

Baras shouted in rage, hurling many an ornament off his desk towards the Overseer. Tremel attempted the best he could to evade, but his strength and will were waning quickly. He knew he wasn't nearly a match for Baras. Perhaps sensing his doubt, Baras took the opportunity to strike. At once, Tremel was once the ground, collapsed to his knees by Baras's formidable grasp of the Force. Baras approached slowly, his blade deactivated. He pressed the end of the hilt against Tremel's spine, and activated the blade…

Sabrina heard a howl of pain emit from the office's interior. She cursed, slashing at the lock one last time in the vain hope of releasing its hold on the entrance. Surprisingly, the lock fell weakly in front of the door. For a moment, all Sabrina could do was stare at it with a mix of awe and disbelief, before she entered the office tentatively. Tremel could be seen lying still on the ground, a massive cauterized wound in the center of his back. Sabrina closed her eyes, realizing that Baras was nowhere to be found. She stood for a few moments, not entirely sure what to do. She drew her blade, and started to search.

Baras, it seemed, had met a gruesome end via an unknown assailant. He was curled around a scarlet saber in the far left corner of the ceiling. Every once and a while, he let out a small groan as Sabrina inspected him. The blade had been drove straight through his gut, and he was then put on display… the killer had some obvious skill. Baras grunted, staring at his pupil. "You… bitch…" he murmured.

"Oh, shut up," Sabrina requested, as she used the Force to choke him, disabling his ability of speech. With a sickening crack, his head slumped down, his neck severed from his spine. Slowly, he slid off the lightsaber, passing through the blade, and collapsing six feet to the cold floor. Sabrina smirked, but drew her blade, essentially becoming aware of the danger. The saber utilized to impale her former master deactivated automatically, and twirled into a dark corner of Baras's quarters. She went to investigate.

Sabrina followed the trail of the light saber, and she didn't travel far. When she reached her destination, a moderately sized man stepped out of the darkness. His figure was slim, yet he had an aura of danger swirling about him. He was masked, and was adorned by scarlet and glinting silver Sith battle armor. A long, trailing cloak fell from his shoulders, yet his hood remained down. He bowed, introducing himself. "I am Lord Zelkin Infinium. And you are Sabrina Williams, former apprentice of Darth Baras. It's a pleasure." Zelkin offered his hand to shake. Sabrina took it tentatively, and went straight to the point.

"Did you kill Baras?" She questioned bluntly.

Zelkin smirked devilishly, although it couldn't be seen under his mask. "Yes. Yes I did. What of it?"

Sabrina shook her head. "A simple inquiry. Why I wonder, did you interfere? Did you wait for him to kill Tremel before you did so?"

Zelkin maintained nonchalance about the situation. "Despite Baras's madness, he was correct in saying that Tremel had grown weak. I needed him out of the way. As they say, two birds."

Sabrina nodded, but was still semi-angered. "Why did you need Tremel out of the way? If he was so weak, I don't see how he could've made any impact on your plan. And of course, you have a plan. Sith like you always do."

Laughing outright, Zelkin nodded. "Even the smallest and weakest of creatures can create a major and harmful impact. Tremel was a meddler, and needed to be dealt with. Baras was the same. And now, you're free. Free to develop your powers and you see fit, not your master. Or, you can become my apprentice, therefore become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Sabrina contemplated. "Well… you're awfully forward aren't you? I figured someone like you would already have an apprentice."

Zelkin shook his head. "I did… long story."

It was Sabrina's turn to chuckle. "Alright… but I wonder… does my Master answer to someone of higher power?"

"Well, it depends on how you look at it. I'm sure my colleagues would be overjoyed to meet someone of your skill… and yes, I know what you can do. Sith apprentices don't often attempt to kill their masters merely days after leaving acolyte-hood… but it seems, you had the power to nearly do so." Zelkin admitted.

"Pity it had to be nearly…" Sabrina continued.

Sabrina regretted the pitiful amount of time she was able to spend on Dromund Kaas. She no doubt knew she was to return at some point in time, but for now, it was back to the Imperial Fleet aboard Zelkin's Fury Class Imperial Interceptor.

**((If you have read this far, I thank you for not giving up on the story too quickly… I'm not one to follow the storyline of the game… we've all experienced that before. I've been trying to add as much action to the first chapter as possible to try to get more reader's attentions. Trust me, there's more to come. By the way, if anyone from the Shades of Serroth is reading this, I extremely miss the roleplay experience your guild offered, but the game was just too much for my old desktop to handle. I hope to start playing SWTOR again very soon, and hope to see you all again when that time comes. For now, cheers! I will update when I receive a little bit of feedback! Thanks for reading!))**


	2. 2 Blood Runs Thicker (Dr)

Drelzin

Chapter 2 - Blood Flows Thicker

Coughing into his hand, Drelzin stared the man down, unafraid of any potential consequence. He had no difficulty telling the Sith lord such grave news.

"Dyanne Ipsilon is dead. No more. Your privilege of fondling her has run dry, cretin." Drelzin stated in an almost mocking tone. The lord faltered, although he tried to act like the news didn't affect him.

"T-that's a pity…" Dri'kinn, the Sith lord, sputtered through trembling lips.

Drelzin shook his head in amusement. "I'm afraid that's not the pity in this situation. She was merely means to an end. I believe your life is due next. How romantic. The star-crossed lovers die rather than exist without each other."

The Sith vigorously shook his head on the verge of tears. The large mass of midnight black hair upon his head mimicked his movements, almost like it had a mind of its own. He drew his saber, which was double bladed and tinted violet. Drelzin did the same, his blades single edged and crimson. Dri'kinn sent a large current of force lightning in Drelzin's wake, but he merely sidestepped, absorbing a large amount of the current in the ectoplasmic cone of his blade. Drelzin advanced, slashing Dri'kinn at the knee. As the impact landed, Dri'kinn howled in pain and backhanded Drelzin across the room. Drelzin impacted a tall durasteel wall, but very swiftly regained his aggressive posture. Hurling his right lightsaber towards Dri'kinn, he advanced with large steps, aiming his left blade towards the pureblood's hamstrings. When the blade impacted successfully, there was a large sizzling noise. Two large lacerations were marked on the back of legs. Wordless and out of breath, Dri'kinn fell to the ground silently.

"To kill your own flesh and blood… that is a true atrocity." He muttered through bloodless lips.

"For the sake of Naga Sadow, close your mumbling foolish mouth," Drelzin spat with contempt. He ignited his lightsaber and plunged it thoroughly through Dri'kinn's stomach. He withdrew it and did so again. At this time, the tension in Dri'kinn's body slowly dissipated, as he sunk lower to the ground. He was not breathing. At once, he ceased all movement, and laid limp on the cold floor of the Nexus Room Cantina's upper level. Drelzin smiled at the pathetic corpse of the Sith before walking casually toward the elevator.

Drelzin casually boarded his Fury-class Imperial Interceptor, offering a small nod of acknowledgement to his vessel's factotum droid before taking the helm and piloting the ship towards Vaiken Spacedock and the Imperial Fleet.

Shivering only slightly as the cold of atmosphere of the Spacedock settled on his pale skin, Drelzin impatiently jabbed the elevator command console with his index finger. The elevator lurched violently once before beginning its ascent towards the mercantile and cantina level of the massive spacedock. As the elevator opened gradually, Drelzin exited at a brisk pace towards yet another elevator at the opposite end of the station that would lead him to Interfleet Transport. His destination, the flagship of his organization, was disguised as an Imperial vessel and had been orbiting the spacedock silently for a few months. Drelzin was to speak with Darth Serroth, the organization's founder and leader. Serroth was a borderline maniacal Sith. Yet, his determination set all other aspects far apart. He managed to convince a multitude of Sith lords, Mandalorians, Imperial forces, and government officials to join his cause in the destruction of the Sith Empire. Once the original Empire was removed, Serroth would be crowned the new Emperor and reign over the galaxy as_** he **_saw fit. Which was all perfectly normal for an ambitious Sith.

Drelzin _borrowed_ a spare interceptor craft to be used a transport to the flagship. When he reached the vessel's vicinity, he received a transmission from the bridge. A pale blond woman appeared on the transparent and luminescent holo device on the ship's dashboard. Her frame was small and fragile, but her posture was collected, stiff, and in a way, dutiful. Her hair, pulled tightly against her skull into a small bun, took on a shimmering lustre, even over the holocom playback. "Ah, Drelzin. I take it the deed is done?" She canted her head in his direction, looking at him with eager and anticipating eyes.

"Indeed. Do I have permission to board? I need to speak with him." Drelzin stated in a nonchalant monotone.

The woman tapped away at a console at the other end of the holocall, then nodded curtly. "Your transport has been registered. You're cleared to land in the starboard hangar. Is that all Drelzin?" She inquired.

"That's all for now, Maya. See you soon." On that note, Drelzin closed the call and steadily approached the starboard side of the ship, almost skimming the durasteel hull of the flagship. When he saw the pale blue of the hanger's entrance ray shield, he exhaled, wrenching on the ship's controls to hang right into the hangar.

The bottom of the interceptor's wings dragged with resistance against the hangar's flooring, emitting sparks and a large screech, before the craft's trajectory was at once halted. As Drelzin made his escape from the now ignited vessel, droid fire teams formed a semi-circle in front of the cock-pit window and performed a panoramic sweep of water to put out the flame. Drelzin exited the hangar via elevator. The elevator took him above the Crews Quarters and Command Deck, to the floor labeled "Sanctum". This was Serroth's place of private meditation and contemplation. Drelzin tentatively entered to see a limestone carving of a robed Sith staring menacing down at him. His pupils and irises were perfectly carved, adding to the statue's intimidating stare. Drelzin shivered off his discomfort and continued down the intersecting corridors until he finally neared Serroth's inner sanctuary.

The dark lord's power radiated like a sonic sound wave, even through walls. If Drelzin listened intently, he could hear rhythmic pulsating emitting from an unknown source. Without knowledge of how to proceed, Drelzin rapped on the sanctuary's limestone portcullis, the echo of which carried far down the ever reaching corridors. A large grunt of welcome could be heard from the inner sanctum, which Drelzin took to mean he had permission to enter. He turned to a lever which was held in place by a winch attached to a machination which whirred inside its hollowed selection of limestone inside of the wall. Drelzin wrenched down on the lever and the portcullis tentatively lurched upward, exposing the entrance.

The portcullis yielded yet another corridor, this one a few metres shorter than the other. Its ceiling was extremely low yet arched, so Drelzin had plenty of headroom. Hands swinging casually at his side, Drelzin entered the chamber. Serroth, a Rattataki Sith, was clothed in a simple matter. His synth-weaved midnight black robes swayed just above his sandaled feet. Around his ankles was beaded Rattataki ceremonial jewellery, similar to that which adorned his brow. A single ring was clasped around his left index finger. It had a large head of ruby and a circlet of reflective of gold. His eyes, a cold and piercing grey, didn't react when Drelzin strolled cautiously into his chamber. Serroth rose from his kneeling position in front of an altar, recognizing Drelzin with a cordial nod of his head. "Apprentice Kryos. You wished an audience?" He questioned, his eyes remaining set on Drelzin's.

"Indeed. I'd like to update you on the current status of Lord Dri'kinn." Drelzin said slowly, carefully. Serroth raised a singular eyebrow inquisitively, disturbing and unbalancing his headgear.

Drelzin bit his cheek. "Dead." He stated curtly.

Serroth smiled a wide, appeased, smile. "Well done. He's been nothing but a thorn in our side since his weak mind was persuaded into a cause that wouldn't have benefited him." Serroth jested.

Drelzin didn't appear to appreciate the humor. "Does 'the cause' benefit anyone but you?" He asked, seriousness twinkling in his hazel eyes.

Serroth waived away the question, turning to face the Imperial Fleet from a large panoramic bulkhead at the southernmost end of his quarters; the stern of the starship.

"Alderaan is your next target. One of our asset's convoys was to escort an Imperial spy out of Organa territory via hovercraft, but the convoy and the spy were terminated by a combination of Organa and Alde forces. You, Zelkin, Brutax, Sabrina, and Mayaserena are to retrieve the escorted ship's black box; the spy stored his information in there in case of emergency. Our intelligence indicates that the black box is undamaged." Serroth said, his tone clear and uninhibited. "Yet, a problem has revealed itself. Jedi and Republic forces claimed the data and are storing it safely within a natural rock cavern."

Drelzin smirked, wholeheartedly amused. "One Jedi or a thousand. Truly, what is the difference?" He mockingly questioned.

Serroth smiled slightly for a split second, before his facial features relaxed once again. "That's the spirit. But take care the overconfidence doesn't overtake you."

Drelzin nodded in confirmation, turning briskly to leave. "Meet Maya on the bridge. She'll brief you further." Serroth stated as the portcullis closed gradually, descending towards the dusty limestone floor.

For Drelzin, it was from one ship to the next. The next few hours went by like a blur. Serroth's strike force, including himself, Zelkin Infinium, Sabrina Williams, Mayaserena, Darth Brutax, and one Mandalorian who's name escaped Drelzin at the time, bunched together in the cargo bay of an Imperial transport, discussing plans and maneuvers to steal the black box from Jedi clutches.

"We can't properly address the situation until we know all the facts, such as the level of security, the skills and competence of the guards, the patrol schedule, the–." Zelkin listed, before being interrupted by Brutax.

"I'm sure they have the very best of the best guarding the box. That's what we can expect. Steel yourselves. The Jedi, despite their obvious weaknesses in logic, are not a force to be taken lightly." Brutax spoke clearly, his arms folded casually as he leaned limply against a cargo crate. The cargo bay lurched ahead, the transport receiving atmospheric turbulence.

"Brace yourselves." Mayaserena said, her clenched jaw separating only briefly to speak. She clung tightly to Brutax's hand with her own, using the other to grasp the handle of a sturdy crate. Sabrina and Drelzin both latched onto some durasteel pipes at the northernmost end of the bay, eyeing eachother in suspicion as they did so.

The captain piloting the transport's booming voice loomed over the loudspeaker. "Entering Alderaan's lower atmosphere… heat and turbulence are staving off. Contact Rhu Caenus Spaceport for permission to land."

An Ensign's nasally voice consumed the loudspeaker. "Rhu Caenus has granted us permission to land in Hangar Bay 13C. Be cautious, sir. The mouth of the hangar is hardly spacious."

Nothing else was said, which meant we were approaching the hangar. Turbulence was now out of the question, so the party loosened their holds on supporting structures. Mayaserena's hand awkwardly left Brutax's her stare never wavering from his eyes. The transport's thruster ambience weakened, and the party felt the transport's descent. When the ship had docked, the thump of it's crew personnel's feet could be heard very clearly exiting the ship in their excitement to view Alderaan's many landmarks.

When the party was sure that the crew personnel, for the most part, had left the hangar, they began to exit the transport, one by one, until only Drelzin was left. He waited for Maya's signal before sprinting down the loading ramp and onto the polished floor of the hangar. He could Maya running like the wind toward a large pyramid of unloaded cargo from a previous transport to use a makeshift hiding place. She slid on her heels behind a forklift and began to slowly climb the pyramid. Drelzin ran across the large exposed area before reaching the forklift, and launching himself off the loading component onto the cargo.

The hollow _ring_ of Drelzin's greaves against the hollow cargo crates echoed quietly around the hangar. Mayaserena was just feet ahead of him now. She weaved a path for him to follow, and eventually, they made it to the elevator undetected and joined the rest of the landing party. Zelkin addressed Drelzin and Maya in a hushed tone.

"The box is being held in a cavern structure about a kilo away from Rhu Caenus. The coordinates have been uploaded to your datapads. We'll rendezvous outside the cave to plan our attack. Ready?" Zelkin inquired.

Without awaiting a response, the team ascended the elevator and once again, one by one, exited the small city of Rhu Caenus and entered the snow-spotted, Kilik-infested, Republic-ridden Alderaanian forest. Drelzin sprinted through the trees, grabbing the occasional low hanging branch to swing himself under. Drelzin reached the signal flare outside the cavern, where most of the party had already had arrived. The only two missing were Maya and Sabrina, both of which were bound to arrive soon. Zelkin decided to begin with preparations. He sketched a roughly drawn schematic of the cave and surrounding area with a branch in the snow.

"Drelzin, Brutax. You two will be taking the frontal approach. The cave can be accessed from a small incline of snow just over there." he pointed forward, "Maya and Sabrina will climb the rock face above the cave's entrance and ambush any reinforcements that try to support the main attack force. Sound like something we could pull off?" Zelkin asked, looking at us expectantly. Brutax and Drelzin nodded almost in unison, as the Mandalorian upstart cleared his throat as if to speak.

"I beg your pardon, Lord Infinium, but you haven't assigned me a task." He stated.

Zelkin smirked underneath his mask, wholeheartedly and thoroughly amused. "Just try not to get in anyone's way, Mandalorian."

Brutax and Zelkin couldn't refrain from tumultuous laughter, although Drelzin was vaguely aware that besides the Mandalorian, Zelkin was the only one he didn't bother to assign himself a role to play in the coming battle.

Sabrina and Maya arrived soon after. Sabrina winced virtually every time she took a step, but insisted nothing was the matter. They were briefed, and the assault began.

The amount of Jedi support was astonishing. For every squad, there were two or three Jedi commanders. Maya helped Sabrina shimmy along the rock face, ready to drop upon the enemy reinforcements who came to meet Drelzin and Brutax, both of which were standing in the enemy's line of site. Drelzin stood with his hands placed at his hips, smiling widely in the face of his enemy. Brutax was still, staring at the Togruta Jedi leading the defense force. Drelzin's hand lowered itself to his lightsaber's hilt, his fingers twitching violently over the grip. In argument with their philosophy, the Jedi ignited their blades in unison and rushed toward the pair of Sith. Drelzin somersaulted backward, drawing his lightsaber and igniting it with a devilish smile on his face and an adrenaline rush coursing through his veins and mind. Brutax tensed, protruding his shoulder to strike the Jedi in the throat with his right arm, producing an echoing snap. TheTogruta fell first to his knees, clutching his throat, before collapsing heavily into the footstep-trodden snowy path. The Jedi accompanying him stopped in their tracks, dazzled and consumed with doubt due to the death of their leader.

"Brutax, now!" Drelzin shouted. Brutax bowed down, allowing Drelzin to take two bounding steps before ascending and traversing across the Pureblood's large back. Drelzin stepped lightly, maneuvering around the spine and pressure points, before hurling himself at the female Nautolan closest to Brutax. He seized her wrist, aiming the blade of her lightsaber at her chin, and ignited it, all within a split second. When the Nautolan collapsed, a cauterizing cylindrical wound bored in her throat, Brutax went into action. He grabbed a Human Jedi Knight by the throat, slamming his horned Sith head into his opponent's. A trickle of blood ran down the Knight's face, as a low groan of pain escaped his mouth. Brutax plunged his vibroblade through the man's gullet, ending his pain for all eternity. Drelzin took to the last Jedi, slashing violently at his tendons with ferocity. The Jedi Knight evaded Drelzin, aided by his small and fragile figure. He pushed the Sith back with Force energy, dampening his saber and tossing it between his legs. When the Jedi caught the saber, he whirled around, a small green tornado of over dramatic energy. Drelzin dropped to an upward facing prone, attempting to sweep his legs. Before his ankle could impact the Rodian, a loud rebounding sound echoed throughout the crevasse. This sound was the sound of a blaster with a full metal jacket loaded and fired, rather than thermal rounds that modern blasters are designed for. The Rodian stood in place for a while, his head tilted upwards, knocked back and most likely fractured due to the force of the slug. In the center of his forehead, just above his pronounced brow, was the entrance wound of the round, a least 3 centimetres in total circumference.

Drelzin stared with contempt in the direction of the fired round. Standing there, triumphant, was the upstart Mandalorian, his long-barreled blaster emitting a large amount of steam, most likely due to the damage caused by the unfamiliar slug in the ammunition storage being fired so recklessly.

"Worst I got is a damaged locking bolt spring. You could've had a whole lot worse." The Mandalorian spoke in a mocking tone. Drelzin was suddenly entranced by rage.

"That was my kill! One such as you shouldn't even have the privilege of killing Jedi!" Drelzin snarled as he advanced on the Mandalorian, shoving Brutax out of his path with a shoulder.

Drelzin seized the young hunter by the throat, shoving him against the nearest face of stained black rock. No doubt spires of protruding rock were digging into his spine, but Drelzin didn't relent with his application of pressure. "You will respect my right to kill, for I am forever your superior. Have we reached an understanding?" Drelzin intimidatingly inquired.

The Mandalorian swiftly nodded, gurgling, "I- I- I'm so- sorr- sorry," as Drelzin loosened his grip. The young man collapsed, knocked unconscious from either fear or pain.

Brutax shrugged. "Merely one more burden to carry." He announced.

((Hopefully you're all liking it so far! It takes me a fair amount of time to update this, but I promise you the story is far from over! Please, for the love of God, R&R. Constructive criticism is more than welcomed. I just need to know y'all are reading. For now, I take my leave. Expect an update in 2 weeks – a month tops. Happy reading!

~Shroud


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